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Friday, May 27, 2011

The second part of our trip we tried to absorb life at Christian World Outreach's center in PAP. It provided the needed opportunity to observe and interact with the local Haitians. The center is a buzzing place of activity — a life giving resource to those in the community of Delmas 33. They seek to care for todays needs along with tomorrows and this is a growing/developing process. Piper said it so well, "We care about your suffering now and your eternal suffering." The center is a well used facility.

(click any picture to see it enlarged...keep reading)

Cooking

Pastor Joel and Marie St. Amour

Monday through Friday Marie St. Amour (head of The Feminine Training Center) has women attending classes in: sewing, cosmetology, cooking, floral design and painting. After the earthquake she designed a more intense 6 month course for women coming out of the tent cities. Currently, she has 29 in this program along with many other ladies in the original 2 year course. They come uniformed and ready to learn. It is a full house of estrogen. :)

Painting/Sewing

FTC Cosmetology

Basic Cooking (tent city women)

See their happy faces?!

While we were there Marie was preparing the girls for their final examination and graduations coming soon. This vocational training equips them to provide for their families. In Haiti women are often the bread winners. During the program they're fed, able to use the showering facilities and presented the Gospel. When these girls graduate they are given a female mentor within the local church and the opportunity to apply for a micro business loan. Their demeanor changes from hopelessness to hopefulness. It is one of the most beautiful things to witness! Hope is such a gift!

Small tent "city" right across the road from CWO

(personal reflection) I can't imagine the level of responsibilities they carry. Every morning we'd be getting ready for the day and I'd sense this sinful/frustated spirit rising in me about a variety of things — living out of a suitcase, sleeping on cots, being perpetually hot and sticky, unable to eat whatever I wanted, mosquitos, etc... Then I'd glance out the window and see these mamas in tents with mud and standing water all around them, no cupboard to grab food for their kids, no money to make their situation better, no husband to lean on, no running water or functioning electricity, no bug spray, etc. There is no comparison. Later in the day — they'd be smiling at the center — working with joy — excited to feed the kids and take part in the Bible school. Incredible! I have no complaint. None!

VBS craft

Pastor Riguad

While FTC is in full swing a worship team meets in the sanctuary to plan and practice. Once a month a Brothers Ministry meets for young married men with Pastor Riguad. Riguad's wife, Naomi, meets with the Sisters Ministry in the hallway after church to sing and pray. There is Sunday School and Church, counseling on Saturdays and basic discipleship study on Sunday nights. Of course there is the Children's Feeding Program and short term teams that come for construction or children's ministry. Recently, CWO purchased a water filtration system. It is sitting in a crate waiting for somebody to have the time to set it up and train staff to run the new Water Program.

Amos and Sadrack teach at GTC.

Grace Training Center is a new ministry they are just launching in response to unschooled children due to the earthquake. Pastor Riguad along with recruited/gifted young men are putting this together. Currently they are teaching English, Spanish, Math and Music (to name a few). VERY COOL!

From young to old you see the community widely affected by the buoyancy of Jesus flowing through the center. It is such a developing gift.

Well, we are still in the Sunshine State right now. Our plan was to be in McCook this morning but in God's sovereign plan we still find ourselves in the airport sippin' Dunkin Donuts (only because Starbucks was unavailable). The third time's a charm it looks like. The first flight was booked incorrectly, still not sure who's to blame for that and still not entirely sure what exactly happened. We got a second flight booked for this morning at 8:30 a.m. only to find out it was canceled due to weather problems somewhere in the world? They told us we wouldn't be able to leave until tomorrow morning which meant another hotel night :/ But we found another plane leaving tonight and we should be to Denver by 8.
So here are some pictures from the last part of the trip. Thanks for looking at the blog.

Dominique the Worship Leader at Grace Fellowship in PAP. He is currently going to school for Bible and would like to go to seminary someday. It is evident that he has a genuine walk with the Lord.

Makayla during the VBS at the CWO center. She did so well at learning the language and spending time with many of the young Haitian ladies.

Makayla and Ethan sleeping in our accommodations at the center.

Haitian soda makes Ethan wild just like American soda does!

Ethan and Ivenson!

Andrea playing that hand slapping game. This little girl was pretty aggressive. She wanted to put the pain on Andrea.

Amos, E, and Sadrack. Ethan kept them laughing all week and they loosened him up. He was having way more fun by the end of the week because of them.

Kia getting a Haitian hair-do. She was a good sport. She didn't think she would want to wear it this way all the time. In fact, she took it out as soon as VBS was over that day. Its pretty hard for a white-girl to pull that hair-do off.

Possibly, the cutest girl in the world.

Ethan had many boys his age in and around the center. Lots and lots of kiddos in Haiti.

My beautiful Bride with some new friends.

Building benches for the feeding program.

Carts like these are often seen in Haiti. Men pull them through the streets carrying all sorts of stuff.

Some of the girls at the center.

Greg was so gracious to let us tag along the last leg of our trip.

Tent city close to the airport.

Can you see Ethan?

Haitian hardware store. A bit different from Home Depot.

Playing a game similar to 500...only with a bean bag instead of a football.

Striking a pose.

Yummy rice.

A common site...Ethan trying to convince Sadrack of something.

Some good work at the Feminine Training Center.

The team from CO that let us join them part of the week.

I told Sadrack he was gifted leader and teacher. He wasn't so sure, but this guy rocked at VBS. He's a gift to Haiti and CWO's work there. Pray for him.

Andrea helping some of the younger kids at craft-time. As always, glitter was a HIT!

Super-duper ministry that has my wheels turning. Basket making, jewelry making, bag making, etc. The Apparent Project was like a well-oiled machine producing jobs and income for Haitians.

Kalya is better at Creole than me, Andrea and Ethan put together! She worked hard on it this trip and it shows.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

We've been able to show our kids many things about Haiti - the good, the bad and the ugly. There is a lot to see and a lot to review - which takes time. They are both feeling much more encouraged about the possibilities of moving here which is good.

This may be our last post for awhile as we are relocating to The Center. CWO has a short term team here to do a VBS with the Children's Feeding Program so we planned to hang with them and take in all the things going on at the center. Unfortunately, their Internet is not up and running quite yet.

It has been such a blessing to hang out with the White family. They are superb and their hospitality is so full of the Spirit. We have been blessed and blessed and blessed some more. Thank you Lord and thank you Whites!

Saturday, Julie was able to run around with us a bit which was fun. She showed us how to get to The Giant (a grocery store for expats) which is where we'll buy meat. Reality check #1: our pampered American stomachs would not be able to handle unrefrigerated meat. Reality check #2: our grocery budget can't afford The Giant for too many shopping needs. Eeek! Everything was like 3 times higher than at Schmick's Market. Reality check #3: We have to learn how to shop at the open market many of our shopping needs and secondly, we need to bring some things from the States. We are learning, learning, learning!

Then we found a couple souvenir shops which were fun to see. She showed us a chapel yard that has lots of places to run and play for the kids. Very helpful! We met Shelly who is developing The Apparent Project ministry. They make jewelry out of trash to empower Haitians to make money. The Lord is granting her much success. They're doing a good work.

The girls "shopped" with us and the boys enjoyed a serious airsoft war. Ethan was so stoked! It was another good day in Haiti.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

The kids protested going anywhere and pleaded for a day at home. So we decided that Jason would go out with Amos for a bit in the morning and we would stay here to just chill. Jason got to see the Sugar Cane Park and the US Embassy. Excellent. Then we went swimming for a bit. There are a few missionary families on this street, one family has a pool... so they pitch in to maintain it and enjoy it. Fun! The Whites got home soon after that and we ordered Dominoes Pizza. Can you believe it? It was good too. It even smelled like Dominoes. Wow. Ethan played and played with the boys. Their play is so active - loud and sometimes haphazard while the girls are so quiet - orderly and predictable. God made us refreshingly different. Here are some pictures of our chilled out day.

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About Me

We're a family of four learning to be possessed by supreme joy in Jesus Christ. Since 2004 he has laid Haiti on our hearts and is opening a door for us to serve. After living and serving in Haiti for 7 months we began to understand how God was leading us to be dedicated to helping others and ourselves see the glory of God more readily. Seeing and knowing Him in our everyday is the only way our hearts and lives are changed for His glory. Lord willing, we'll be in Haiti by October 2012. Quisqueya Chapel, an English-speaking fellowship in Port-Au-Prince, asked us to shepherd their 75-100 young adults. 95% of the group are English-speaking Haitians and the other 5% are from other countries. We're excited about the opportunity to minister in a more holistic way on a community level. Only by His sufficient grace will we accomplish what He's called us to do. We are praying for His Spirit to lead us and grow our love for these people.